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HomeWord - January 21, 2015

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! —Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

There’s a phrase used in churches that I really love: “We are better together.” Better together is a fantastic slogan. It simply means that when other people are in our lives, we’ll thrive. It’s a great idea (and biblical)!

Better together also means that God has created and called us into relationships. Not only has He summoned us into a personal relationship with Himself, but He invites us to have significant relationships with other humans. Apart from entering into those kinds of deep, real relationships, we cannot live the lives of abundance that God intended. But when we do have real, connecting relationships in our lives, we can: Know and be known; love and be loved; celebrate and be celebrated; and serve and be served…that’s God’s invitation to us today. Isn’t that what you really want?

When I think of friendship, three images come to mind.

Friendship is sometimes like a lump of unformed clay. It just sits there like a big gray blob of muck. It’s undeveloped; it’s not good for much…but it has potential. It’s just going to take some work to shape it.

Friendship is sometimes like a lump of clay that’s being formed. Time and intention have been put into it. Maybe it’s developing the shape of a bowl or an urn or mug. The friendship is nice, it could be functional, but it isn’t yet all it’s meant to be.

But friendship is occasionally like a beautiful vase. Here, the clay that started as a lump has been formed and put through the fire. When it comes out the other side, it’s complete. It’s functional, and it’s all it’s meant to be. It’s a thing of beauty.

That’s always God’s invitation with friendships: to let them be all they can be.

These types of relationships are always within our grasp. God brings them our way, and He invites our cooperation in their forming. If you’ve been holding back, drowning in a pool of isolation, the good news is that you can change! Don’t wait. Find someone. Connect. Cultivate. And commit to cherish your newfound friendship. Seize the day! Because, remember, we’re always better together!

GOING DEEPER:

1. When you hear “better together,” who in your life do you think about?

2. Think about your life and a few people you might be able to reach out and connect with. Who are these people? How can you take the first steps?